Herbert Harold Looney Sept. 26, 1928 – Dec. 13, 2018 Herbert Harold Looney died December 13, 2018 at the age of 90.
He was born September 26, 1928 to Jim & Princie (Rhoades) Looney in the little logging town of Mayfield, Washington. He was the oldest of three boys. He spent his childhood playing in the woods with his brothers, friends and faithful dog.
As a young man he loved to fish the Cowlitz River. He graduated from Mossy Rock High School where he excelled in baseball and… Read More » football. In his early twenties, he married Mildred Schimtt and they raised four children.
In the early 1950’s they moved to Bandon where he held jobs in the logging industry. He worked in the mill, but his primary and most loved occupation was operating a log loader. He had the patience and skill to train several young men at this occupation and was very proud of his accomplishments in this chosen field.
In the late 1950’s, he contracted Polio, and was one step away from an iron lung. After a long and hard recovery, he was able to go back to his favorite place: the woods. After he and Mildred divorced, he changed occupations and became an apprentice appliance repairman.
In the early 1970’s, he moved to Brookings where he built Reliance Appliance with his son Bob and dear friend Jim. He became known as the Maytag Repairman. He was respected by many clients for his honesty and good work.
Several of his customers found out about his fondness for oatmeal cookies, and would often have a fresh batch ready when he arrived on a service call. He always had his dog, Tina, whom he called his Red-headed Girlfriend. He met and married Pat in 1982 and they shared many adventures.
He taught Pat to hunt and fish, and they traveled the West where they caught many a meal and cooked it over a campfire. They once took ten grandkids, ages 9 – 19, on a campout to Taclact Lake in Washington for two weeks. What a learning experience, but a lot of fun.
When he retired, he and Pat hooked up to the travel trailer and traveled the West Coast and Midwest. They spent one winter in Arizona where they rode their ATV’s and explored old towns and mining sites. Herb was well known for his smoked salmon which he would always pass out as samples.
He could always be found on the Chetco river at sunrise when the steelhead were running, the Rouge for Salmon and the Pacific Ocean, looking for the “Big One” which he caught out by the whistle, and it weighed 54 lbs. Herb will be forever missed by his loving wife, Pat; his children Bob (Tracy) Looney, Diane Armartige, Carol Potvine and Janet Perry, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held after the holidays and a notice published in the Pilot.
Redwood Memorial Chapel is assisting the family.
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